Recommendations developed for managing postpartum pain

(HealthDay)—Recommendations for managing postpartum pain have been developed and published in a Committee Opinion online May 17 in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Tekoa L. King, M.P.H., from the American College of Nurse-Midwives in Silver Spring, Md., and colleagues, together with the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' Committee on Obstetric Practice, addressed pain in the postpartum period.

Noting that untreated pain is associated with increased risks of greater opioid use, postpartum depression, and development of persistent pain, the authors recommend non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic therapies as components of postpartum pain management. It is important to consider the impact of medications on the mother-infant dyad, as 81 percent of U.S. women initiate breastfeeding during the postpartum period. Multimodal analgesia uses drugs with distinct mechanisms of action, potentiating the analgesic effect. A multimodal regimen used in a stepwise approach allows for lower doses of opioids in regimens including opioids. For women who are prescribed opioids, monitoring for excessive sedation and other adverse effects is recommended in infants, given the interindividual variation of opioid metabolism and the risk of maternal and neonatal adverse effects in ultra-rapid codeine metabolizers.

"Knowing that pain can interfere with a woman's ability to care for herself and her infant, it's important that ob-gyns talk with their patients about the level of pain they're experiencing and create a tailored plan that works for them," Yasser El-Sayed, M.D., vice chair of the Committee on Obstetric Practice, said in a statement.

Citation:
Recommendations developed for managing postpartum pain (2018, May 23)
retrieved 15 September 2019
from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2018-05-postpartum-pain.html

This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no
part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.

E-mail the story

Recommendations developed for managing postpartum pain

Note

Your email address is used only to let the recipient know who sent the email. Neither your address nor the recipient's address will be used for any other purpose.
The information you enter will appear in your e-mail message and is not retained by Medical Xpress in any form.

Your message

Newsletter sign up

Get weekly and/or daily updates delivered to your inbox.
You can unsubscribe at any time and we'll never share your details to third parties.

Your Privacy

This site uses cookies to assist with navigation, analyse your use of our services, and provide content from third parties.
By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy Policy
and Terms of Use.